Walt Disney's Boarding School for the Gifted and Talented
by stressfullysleeping
Summary: As Belle and Merida clash in the WW3 of Roomates, Mulan struggles to reach headstrong Shang, and Jasmine thrashes from her father's ever-evolving plan for an arranged marriage, some students begin to suspect something sinister within the walls of their grounds. "There's a lot more than the cafeteria breadsticks to this school." "You mean they finally added spaghetti to the menu?"
1. The Most Prestigious School in The Land

**Chapter 1: The Most Prestigous School in the Land**

 **Jasmine** **definitely** **hated** everything right now, except for the music pounding out of her headphones and her cat, Raju, curled up like a little cinnamon bun in her lap.

She hated the stupid boarding school she had to go to-but she also hated the private school she'd previously been attending.

 _Which one do I hate more, is the question._

A hard question, indeed. She already had a good long list of reasons she hated her current school-a literal list, that was created on the second day and held true till the last. She fished the rumpled paper that was torn out of her science textbook from her bedside table.

 _Rest in peace, the next kid who needs to learn about advanced cell division._ She thought with a smirk, then began to read.

 **Reasons Why This School Sucks: An Informative List**

 **1: 50% of the students hate me**

 **2: 50% of them want to be my BFF**

 **3: 100% of them talk shit about me**

 **4: These uniforms are horrible.**

 **5: The sleeves way too long.**

 **6: The pants are way too long.**

 **7: Everything is way too long.**

 **8: The teachers hate my hair.**

 **9: They call my braid 'dreads'.**

 **10: Everyone is boring**

 **11: Everyone THINKS they're not boring.**

 **12: The teachers complain when they can "hear my music" even though I don't complain when I can hear their goddamn Mozart piano during an exam.**

 **13: Gym is hard, but I can't admit because all the bitchy girls in my class think it is, too, and I don't want to be associated with them.**

 **14: Everyone hates alternative music.**

 **15: They're all tall and don't abide by the rule, "Tallest to the back, shortest to the fr-**

It ended there. She vaguely remembered Mrs. Martinez snapping at her and threatening to take away the paper-which couldn't happen unless Jasmine wanted a trip to the guidance counselor to talk about "her feelings". Jasmine picked up a shiny gel pen and added another heading.

 **Reasons Why This New School Also Sucks**

 **1: They say it's prestigious, so that means smart AND rich are there. That old school was just a bunch of losers who bought their way in.**

 **2: We're trapped on some campus with a bunch of adults.**

 **3: We have to share a room with a stranger.**

 **4: The name is prissy as hell.**

 **5: That fancy-ass name is worth two reasons, that's how annoying it is.**

Granted, the list was much shorter-but she hadn't even been there yet, and she was sure there would be plenty more things to add.

 _Maybe I should've just gone to public school, everything seems pretty cool there._ She thought wistfully.

 _Actually..._ She began to write once again.

 **Reasons Why Public School Sucks As Well**

 **1: Food fights or something. I'm pretty sure those happen all the time.**

 **2: Teachers are bad at everything. Probably.**

 **3: There's a lot of singing, I think.**

 **4: Sports are, like, the most important thing.**

 **5: Ugh, I dunno. Gangs.**

It seemed that Jasmine was out of options, so she simply accepted her fate(after twenty minutes of calculations that concluded jumping out of the private jet would result in death).

Suddenly, an insistent knock joined her loud rock music. She slipped off her headphones and settled them on her satin bedspread, then carefully plucked her smartphone out from under her sleeping feline, who only purred in response. She paused the song.

"Come in!"

A maid timidly nudged open the door halfway. "Miss Jasmine, your father requested your presence at the banquet this evening, and proper attire." She relayed in a shy, whispery voice.

"Got it." Jasmine nodded curtly, and was about to place her headphones back around her ears, when the maid spoke again.

"Actually, due to your past-ahem, choices of dress-" Jasmine fondly recalled all of her "interesting" selections of apparel-from PJs to fishnet stockings to a T-shirt with the middle finger on it(which her father promptly attempted to confinscate, even calling in a search squad to check her room, yet to no avail). "-I am to assist you."

Jasmine inwardly groaned. "Okay. Let's head to my closet." She attempted to sound as indifferent as possible, not wanting to take her annoyance out of the poor maid. Jasmine rolled off her bed and into a pair of luxury slippers, then padded to the tall, graceful door. She threw it open lazily, and flicked the light switch to reveal an area the size of a large bedroom, lined with anything and everything any girl-except Jasmine-could ask for.

Jasmine plopped onto the intricately designed bench in the middle of the room, a slouch in her back. She took advantage of the brief moments of the maid gaping to whip out her phone. She'd gotten tired of giving an explanation for the things she owned-she didn't want all this, her dad got it without even asking, she just wanted some normal stuff-in the end, it wouldn't change a thing anyone thought.

"Wow-um, I mean-okay, Miss. Let's begin."

The maid quickly grabbed a ball gown, stating that her father reccomended she select one. "Weird." Jasmine muttered to herself. After a fair amount of time lacing, zipping, and whatever else to make sure it didn't fall apart, they picked out some shoes.

"These flats look good." She was about to reach of a shiny black pair, but the maid stopped her. "Your father has asked that you wear heels for this gala."

Jasmine furrowed her dark eyebrows together. "That's unusual." Nonetheless, she strapped on some decently tall heels.

 _At least I'm not 4'11 when I'm wearing these._

After the maid did her makeup-which was at least not terribly overdone like the rest of her outfit-she was sent down the elevator.

When she arrived in their ballroom, the banquet was already as wild as it was gonna get-business people chatting in professional tones and forcibly chuckling at each other's jokes as they drank half-full glasses of red wine. There were a few other kids around, most looking bored and sitting far apart around some of the tables. Her father spotted her, and he happily walked over.

"Hello, darling. You look wonderful. Come with me." She reluctantly trailed after him.

"Can't I just go sit down, or-"

Her father interrupted her by jovially greeting another businessman. "Fishman! Oh, how nice to see you! I believe you've met my daughter, Jasmine."

Jasmine knew the drill. With a false smile, she firmly shook his hand. "Hello, sir." He smiled back, fake-white teeth gleaming.

"Hello there, miss. You look quite elegant tonight. Say, have you met my son?" She shook her head slowly. "Really? Well, I must call him over then." He disappeared briefly, reappearing with a raven-haired boy in hand.

"This is Eric. Eric, this is Jasmine." They both smiled politely, shook hands politely, all that-as if they both were meeting another businessman.

"Why don't you two go chat?" Eric's father suggested.

"Yes, I'm sure you two will hit it off!" Her dad said, ushering them away.

 _Why did it sound like those two were on a script or something?_ Jasmine wondered, but said nothing to Eric about it. They both took a seat, leaving a chair in between each other. Her father scoffed. "Oh, sit closer. You won't be able to hear a thing!" After several moments, Eric awkwardly shuffled over to the next chair.

"Well, you two have fun!" Eric's father winked.

"What the hell" was essentially Jasmine's expression. She turned her gaze to Eric, who simply looked embarrassed.

"So..." He smiled at her slightly. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen. Sixteen, soon."

"Ah." He nodded. "I'm seventeen. I'll be a junior, soon. And you'll be a sophomore, right?"

"Yup." Jasmine stated, popping the 'P'.

"Cool." They sat in silence for a while. That's kinda how it went for the next few minutes. Someone asked a question(usually Eric). Someone would answer. Silence.

Suddenly, Jasmine's dad slid down next to her. "Hey, darling. I hate to cut this conversation short, but I need to introduce you to someone." He stood up, helping her out of the chair.

"Oh-okay. Bye, Eric. It was nice meeting-oof!" She tripped slightly. "-you."

"You too." They both knew it wasn't really true. Jasmine was led through the throngs of people to a mother-son duo.

"Jasmine, this is..." That's how a good portion of the night went. Her father would randomly cut a conversation short with a teen he'd selected just a bit ago, and introduce her to someone new. Around the fifth boy, she'd had enough, and decided to bring it up.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" She cut off his ramblings-mostly about himself.

The boy-Naveen-looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"You've seen me;it's happening right now. I talk to a guy for a few minutes, then my dad drags me away to meet another guy. It's weird. Like he's trying to find me a date, or-" She stopped mid-sentence.

 _Fancy clothes? Heels?_ It all made sense now.

"You didn't know? This party was for you to find a guy to marry." The teen stared at her strangely.

"To _marry_?" Jasmine was about ready to explode.

"Uh, yeah. To-"

"Hi there, Naveen." Her dad interrupted, putting a hand on both of their shoulders.

 _And he's back_.

"This conversation looks like it's going splendidly, but Jasmine has to meet someone, unfortunately. Come on, Jasmine." He walked ahead of her. She launched out of her seat, not bothering to bid Naveen farewell.

Her father began to speak when he saw her coming towards him and yet-another suitor. "Jasmine, this is-"

"To marry?! To _marry_?" She fumed. Her father turned pale, now looking a sickly gray color. "I'm tired of these stupid games. I. Don't. _Want_ to be married! I don't even want you to choose someone I should date!" She glowered at him-at least in her heels, she was slightly taller than her dad.

"Now, dear, I didn't mean to force you into this-"

"Really? Oh, _really_?" She laughed sarcastically, walking in wide circles now that everyone had backed away from them. The teen boy she was about to be introduced to looked rather flustered, constantly wiping the sweat from his neck. "You _forced_ me to come to this party, you _forced_ me to do some stupid speed-dating, and you _forced_ me to search for a husband without even telling me I was!"

Her father tried to grab her arm, but she thrashed away. "No! I'm not gonna take some quick-and-easy apology to wrap up this shit." She backed away, fire in her eyes.

"You know what? This isn't the eighteen hundreds-oof!"She began to take off the stupid heels. "I'm not some goddamn princess at a ball...I'm-leaving!" She threw them with all her might and heard gasps. Before she turned around, all she saw were people fearfully ducking-but she knew they would go much, much farther.

Then, she heard the shatter of glass.

But it was too late for her. It was impossible to turn back as adrenaline pumped through her system. She sprinted to the stairs, knowing a mechanical elevator with cameras would make her too easy to find.

As the light-footed teen hopped up each marble stair, two at a time, she could easily imagine the crime scene she'd left behind. The tall window, in the very back of the room, with it's perfect arch at the top and perfect designs. That was most likely the victim, based off of the fairly far distance the sound had came from. It probably ledft a big, gaping hole, with piercing, wicked fragments toppling onto the floors and the colorful, groomed garden right outside of it.

 _And maybe some nice pink marigolds crushed by those strappy pumps._ She almost laughed at the idea. If she could throw those shoes out a window, they could be anywhere. She pictured the rediscovery.

" _P-put those down!" A mother, decades in the future, gasps. "But why?" Her little boy asks. "T-those are the shoes of the crazed girl who smashed a window by throwing those v-very heels with inhuman strength. She disappeared, never to be seen again."_

She wondered if her dad actually thought of her that way now; just an angry teen, more unstable than he could possibly know. Or was he actually sorry? Jasmine couldn't know. _Ugh, focus_! Her mind reverted back to the matter at hand.

She knew there were cameras everywhere; they probably had guards on her tail now. _If I want to get to my room in time, I need to be ahead of them._ They usually had one or two guards on each floor, due to the sheer amount of visitors they had, and all the valuable pieces displayed. At this point, she doubted that they had been alerted very long. _Or maybe they haven't been alerted at all._ She thought hopefully. _Maybe no one has a clue of my plan._ Jasmine peeked out the stairwell and into the fifth floor.

 _"_ Fan out! They haven't located her on the cameras yet, but this next floor houses-"

 _Or maybe not_. She darted out into the hallway and twisted into the first doorway she saw. Once inside, she scanned her surrounds. _A guest bedroom._ Moving silently, she opened the chest of drawers and found just what she was searching for-a nightgown. She peeled the clinging fabric of the bell-shaped ball gown off, then slipped into the light, silk dress.

Now confident she could move swiftly, Jasmine inched open the door to make sure the coast was clear. With the hallway empty, she sprinted down the million-dollar Persian rug-lined hallway, dashing into her room. She didn't take any breaks, grabbing her already-packed suitcases to boarding school for use.

 _Boarding school_... A devious grin played on her lips, as a new plan dawned on her. "Guess we'll be a little early there, won't we?"

* * *

Jasmine dropped off the final branch, then stealthily retrieved her bags from right below the window. The black-haired teen dialed a number, listening to it ring as she trudged across the wet ground, as the grass flicking dew onto her bare feet.

"Jeremy? Hi, Jeremy. Look, we're gonna need to bring that flight date up a few hours-more specifically, to right now. Yes, I know it's one AM, but trust me, you'll be tipped nicely. Be at the jet by two or sooner. I'll be inside. Yes, I'll explain later. Thanks." She ended the call.

"Looks like we're going on a detour."

 **oOo**

" **Now remember, dear-** "

"Yes, mother, I get it! Don't eat too much, don't go party, get good grades, maintain your hair...you've told me all of this plenty of times!" Rapunzel turned to see her mother no longer brushing her long locks, and shooting daggers at her. Rapunzel shrank in her seat. "Sorry, mother. I'm just...excited, I guess." She mumbled.

With an over dramatic sigh, the woman said, "I suppose you must be. I know how much you must hate living here, with your caring mother." She gazed out the window solemnly.

"Oh, mother, of course not! I'll call you every day, and visit you on the weekends that I'm able. I promise." Her mother slowly turned away from the window.

"I suppose you must catch the taxi soon."

Rapunzel whirled around. "A taxi? I thought _you_ were driving me!"

"Sorry, dear, but I have...business matters, to attend to." Rapunzel deflated. "Oh, quit being so dramatic!" Her mother scolded. "It's a private car, no one else in there."

 _Beeep_!

"There it is now. Take the fire escape, Rapunzel." She planted a quick kiss on her head. "I love you, my flower."

"Love you too!" Rapunzel rushed out the door. Her shoes slapped against each metal stair.

She reached the taxi, throwing open the door and tossing her bags in. She was about to hop in, but just as she ducked, she realized there were three kids giving her bewildered looks. She stood there, frozen, until her mother thundered out.

"What is the _meaning_ of this?!" She bellowed. "I ordered a _private_ car, why is this taxi filled to the brim?"

The driver began to explain. "We're very sorry, ma'm. Our company ran out of cars, so they've been forced to do this. The price will be lower-"

"I don't care! Do I know these people? They could be bad influences, for all I-"

The teens in the car were now watching the spectacle with almost amusement; the girl farthest to the left looked at her pitifully. Rapunzel knew she needed to stop this.

"Mom, mom! It's fine. Calm down, please. It's only a couple hours, okay?" The driver looked relieved. Her mother scanned the mustard-yellow car suspiciously. Eventually, she made her decision, and allowed her daughter in the vehicle.

After a few minutes, they were back on the road again, Rapunzel in the backseat with one other girl. She wanted to strike up conversation with someone, but she was rather nervous, and not many of them looked to be in a conversationalist mood.

* * *

Esmerelda stole glances back at the teen every so often. The blonde looked uncomfortable, and kept on opening then closing her mouth, like she wanted to say something, but quickly rethought it.

Eventually, she turned around and flashed her a smile. "Hey. I'm Esmeralda."

The girl's face lit up. "Hi, nice to meet you! I'm Rapunzel."

The girl next to her turned her head from the window(for the first time since Esmerelda got on)and gave her a quizzical look."Rapunzel...like the cabbage?" She said slowly.

The blonde did a breathy laugh. "Uh, yeah. My mother really likes plants-that's what her business is based around."

"What's her business?" Esmerelda asked.

"She makes plant-based products-Gleam And Glow Cosmetics and Hair Care. It's gotten so big, that's why she finally sent me to school." Rapunzel was beginning to warm up to them. "I used to be homeschooled." She added.

"I have a bottle of the thick hair anti-frizz, I think." The Middle Eastern teen girl spoke up. "Works like wonders."

Rapunzel beamed. "That was tested on my hair."

At this point, Esmerelda noticed how long her hair truly was. It looked like it went well past her waist, as it sat next to her, pooling on the leather seat.

The boy next to her-Flynn, she recalled-smirked when he turned around. "Ever got a haircut, blondie?"

A kid with bronze skin and a scruffy poof of black hair rolled his eyes. "Ever flirt, dumbass?" He muttered.

"I wasn't flirting!" The boy protested. "Just asking a question."

At this point, Rapunzel was a rosy red color, her green eyes wide.

Esmeralda shook her head with a chuckle. "Just ignore them, they're stupid."

"Agreed." Stated the Arabian girl, slipping on some expensive-looking sunglasses and a pair of headphones.

When she said this, the black-haired teen gave his friend a glare.

* * *

"What? Sorry, dude, I didn't know you liked-"

"Shut up!" Aladdin interrupted him in an anxious whisper whisper. "Phones." They both took out their cheap electronics and began to text

 **Al:**

 **Why do you yell stuff like that**

 **~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Flynn:**

 **~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.like** **what -_-**

 **Al:**

 **ugh, you know what I mean. I dont like her anyway**

 **~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Flynn:**

 **~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.** **suuuure;)**

 **Al:**

 **mhm. Just like you weren't flirting** **with blondie back there, eugeeene.**

 **~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Flynn:**

 **~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.I swear if you call me Eugene** **~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.** **even once at school I will** **~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.** **whoop your ass**

 **Al:**

 **Maybe I'll just call u eugene rn, with a bunch of other ppl:D**

 **~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.Flynn:**

 **~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.R u serious**

Flynn sent him a real life death glare, and they both began rapidly texting, thumbs moving like the wind.

"Uh...are you guys texting each other?" The girl next to Aladdin ,Esmerelda, on the far left, peered at his screen.

"Actually," Aladdin started, a glint in his eyes, "Flynn here-" Flynn let out a sigh of relief. "Or should I say..."

 **Flynn:**

 **Shut the fuck up or i will break you**

Aladdin took a long, overdone breath. "Euge-"

And that's when all hell broke loose.

 **oOo**

 **Ariel shoved down** her final suitcase, successfully clicking it shut. "Finally! She gasped. Her sister, Aquata, gave her a reprimanding look.

"You shouldn't have packed so much if you knew you had to re-pack it in a hotel." Ariel brushed her off with a shrug. The two of them were shared a hotel room for the night, after their plane landed. In less than an hour, they'd be back on the road again with their family.

"How far is that college, anyhow?" Ariel asked her sister.

"Not super far from us, I think. It's, like, fifteen minutes away from that ice company HQ or something."

Before Ariel could respond, Adella hollered from the hallway, "Move it! We're leaving!" They both grabbed their suitcases and jogged out of their rooms.

Once outside, they saw a limo parked at the front. They didn't need to ask if it were their's-of course their dad rented one of them, especially for an occasion like this. They shoved their bags into the already-overflowing trunk, then hopped in.

Their five other sisters were already piled in. "You're late." Attina tsked.

Ariel rolled her eyes. "Not like you guys were gonna leave without us."

"Wanna bet?" Attina muttered.

Ariel was about to retort, but their father popped his head in. "Hey, girls."

"Hi dad!" All seven of them said.

"I'll be sitting up in the front, since it's pretty cramped back here. Don't get into any trouble, kids!"

His daughters chuckled together. As soon as the door shut, Ariel sprung off the cushions and towards the mini-fridge.

"What the heck are you doing, Ariel?!" Attina hissed.

"Yeah!" Agreed her sister, Arista. "Lock the sliding glass, you dummy." She clicked the lock, so that their father wouldn't be able to open it from the passenger seat.

"Found some!" She moved the sodas aside to reveal several bottles.

"Ariel, if those are alcoholic-" Attina was cut off when Arista and her youngest redhead sister began to read the labels.

"Red wine imported from France? Don't mind if I do!" Arista grabbed a glass.

"Ooh, vodka. I accidentally drank this when I was nine." Ariel reminisced fondly.

"And that's how it'll stay!" Attina grabbed the bottle."All of you are too young to drink, according to the law." She stuck her nose up, attempting to look authoritive.

"Well, how about this." Arista sprawled out on the ground. "We'll form a new government, with the seven of us, and we'll vote, like a true democracy. Sound good?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Good. All in favor of freedom to drink what we please in this free land?" Five of them raised their hands immediately.

"Sorry." Alana timidly put her hand up. Attina glared.

"Looks like you're outnumbered, Hun." Adella winked cheekily, while Arista popped open a wine bottle. "Let's drink!"

* * *

"Did you hear about the Agrabagh's party?" Andrina sipped on her champagne.

"No. What happened?" Adella asked, while Ariel listened in.

"The party turned out to be for her to find someone to _marry_!" A few of the girls gasped. "When she found out, She. Went. Crazy! She threw some heels through a window-not an open window, window _glass_." By now everyone was listening.

"Eh." Ariel stirred the soda that she'd 'flavored' with a shot of vodka, as Arista said. "I guess I'd be pretty angry, too. And I'm sure she didn't mean to."

"She ran from their mansion, apparently. She was cornered, and jumped out a window!"

Ariel raised her eyebrows. "Where is she now?"

"They're not sure. She called their pilot and took their private jet down to some airport. I didn't hear the rest-dad nearly caught me outside his office door."

As everyone pondered this info, the limo began to slow to a stop. "Put everything back!" Attina squeaked. They swiftly poured their drinks back, closed the bottles, and shoved them into the fridge. The teens got back into their seats, trying to look innocent. The door opened.

"Just stopping for gas. You kids can get out and stretch your legs." They did just that. As they stood around chatting, Alana got their attention.

"Guys, don't look now, but I think the escaped daughter is behind us." Of course, everyone looked then.

She was petite, with a dark braid of hair running down her back. She wore modest, but expensive-looking clothes, with a pair of headphones dangling on her neck and high-end sunglasses adorning her face. Her head snapped to face them. She folded her sunglasses into her shirt, and she had glinting,almost menacing, dark eyes. She looked like she was about to walk on towards them.

"Getinthecargetinthecargetinthecar-" Atiina repeated over and over, with all of them tripping over each other to re-enter.

Once inside, they all caught their breath. Eventually, Aquata made an inquiry for Andrina. "Hey, Rina."

"Yeah?"

"It's pretty weird that she's right where we are-if that really is her."

"Uh, I guess."

"Do you remember anything? About where she was headed?" Ariel caught on to what Aquata meant, and was filled with dread. "Like maybe, oh, I don't know, a _school_?" She slammed her glass down.

Andrina perked up. "Oh yeah! A boarding school-"

Everyone except Andrina realized what this meant. "Walt Disney's Boarding School for the Gifted and Talented." The all said, then groaned.

Ariel exhaled. _This is gonna be a long year._

 **oOo**

 **Jasmine took off** her headphones to find some Hunger Games type shit going on.

Well, at least between Flynn and Aladdin, up in the row ahead. Flynn had one hand around Aladdin's mouth, and the other around his neck. Jasmine couldn't tell is Aladdin was laughing his ass off or suffocating. Aladdin twisted from his grasp and his hand fumbled for the seatbelt release.

 _Click!_

The taxi driver opened the glass between them. "Seatbelts, kids!"

"Got it!" They all yelled in unison. Aladdin snapped it back into place with himself inside, and resumed his fight. Flynn grabbed his head and held him under his arm. Aladdin desperately clawed for Flynn's throat, nearly scathing Rapunzel, who was sitting directly behind Flynn.

* * *

Rapunzel sat in her seat, pale and unblinking. She only moved when Aladdin's hand swooped back, close to scathing the tip her nose. Aladdin eventually managed the grab Flynn's ebony hair, diving it into the(luckily padded) back of the passenger seat. He continued doing that, now laughing in between his gasps for air. Flynn threw his legs up in an attempt to thrash out of Aladdin's grasp, eventually hooking one onto Aladdin's headrest and dragging himself up. During all of this, both Jasmine and Esmerelda merely looked humored.

 _Whoosh_! The glass slid open.

"Everyone still in their seatbelts?"

Flynn contemplated his arm tangled in the belt, then nodded in approval, deciding it was good enough. "Yes!" They yelled in unison.

The glass closed, and Flynn used his other leg to kick Aladdin as he dragged himself across the seat, almost upside down.

The taxi halted.

They all froze, looking puzzled. That is, until the door opened.

* * *

Esmerelda stared blankly. She wasn't sure what her role was to amend the situation. All she did was shove Flynn's leg off of the second row. He thumped onto the seat with an "Oof!"

"Um, hi." Rapunzel broke the silence with a wave.

"...Hi." He responded finally, straightening his tie. "Where should I..."

"Oh, uh, I guess I'll-just-" Aladdin rolled into the back seat, hastily buckling in.

The large, relatively muscular man did his best to step over Flynn, who'd now returned to his seat. He sat down,fastened his seatbelt and told the driver he was ready to go. The motor started up, and they continued their journey.

Esmerelda quickly looked him over, then questioned, with a sweet smile,"So, what's your name?" Flynn raised an eyebrow at her, but she only smirked.

"Hercules." He responded, settling into the seat. "And you?"

"Esmerelda." She smiled, leaning slightly closer. "Where are you heade-"

"Actually," Flynn interrupted, as though he were realizing something. "Where is everyone headed? I can't believe we haven't asked each other." He saw Esmerelda's narrowed eyes and mouthed "sorry", then continued."Al and I are headed to some boarding school."

Jasmine slipped off her headphones. "You said you're going to a boarding school?" He nodded. "Me too."

"Me three." Rapunzel giggled.

"Me four." Esmeralda said, following suit.

"Me five." Everyone turned to look at Hercules. He shrugged, stating, "I'm the assistant gym coach.

Jasmine sighed. "And let me guess-we're all going to-"

"Walt Disney's Boarding School for the Gifted and Talented." They all chorused.

Jasmine exhaled, put on her sunglasses, and looked out the window toward a limo longingly. "This is gonna be a long year."

 **oOo**

Meg wasn't special. No gifts. No talents. No off-the-chart grades. In fact, she was the exact opposite of that.

The girl's 2.0 GPA matched her résumé-or lack, thereof-well. The only job she had-and will most likely _ever_ have- was the "assistant" to Hades, which was swiftly terminated when he caught wind of her upcoming departure. It was bittersweet news, for too many reasons to count.

But right now, Meg wasn't thinking about grades or applications or college-she had a more current matter nagging at her.

 _How's mom gonna manage to get me there?_

 _She needs to change the oil._ Meg's mind commented.

 _She needs to change the whole car,_ another, much more brash, part snapped.  
 _Oh, shut up. She remembered, I bet. How can you forget a four-hour drive?_ Meg needn't say it out loud to know there was obvious doubt lining her self-reassurance.

Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do now. Merely sit and watch as the movie rolls-everything had been set in stone.

And she found a most unpleasant ending.

* * *

 **The silence was** deafening. The dinky car couldn't hold the tension between the two women. Sure, they could _try_ to talk out this dysfunction, but it was probably too late for that.

Several minutes of awkwardness bounced around the enclosed area. Meg's mother cleared her throat. "That's a nice dress." Meg wanted to say something-something sarcastic, cynical, anything but what she really said.

"Thanks. It's soft."

 _Why? Why did you say that? You added a conversation starter, look what's gonna come your way._

 _Creeeeeaaaak!_

The car howled an ear-splitting shriek, then slowed to a stop. While this happened, the mother and daughter sat in utter shock.

 _Sit and watch as the movie rolls_. Meg quoted herself in something of a daze. Meanwhile, her mother scrambled out of her car in a flurry of panic. Eventually, after several minutes of fiddling under the hood of the busted vehicle, she threw open the door and flopped into her seat, defeat evident on her face.

"Forgot to change the oil?"  
"Yeah."  
"Forgot you were driving me?"

Hesitation. A short sigh. "Yeah."She drew her phone from an aged purse. "I'll call the towing company. This is gonna be pricy.

"Even worse than changing your oil?" The woman's eyes,identical to Meg's, swept shut.

"I'm sorry, Meg. Just work, and-"

"And going bar hopping till 1AM and forgetting to get your five year old a babysitter?" Sarcasm dripped from each syllable that came out of Meg's mouth.

Her head snapped to face her daughter. "You know what-"

A small limo sidled up next to them, a chauffeur hurrying out and opening the door. First, a broad-shoulder, white-bearded man stepped out, followed by six girls. The door was being closed.

"Wait, wait!" A hand slammed on the inner door and a petite redhead tumbled out. Meg nudged her mom, and the two exited their useless vehicle.

The older man approached, straightening his turquoise dress shirt. "Hi there, folks. I see you have a bit of an issue, here." Meg's mom nodded miserably, while her daughter stood, passive.

A dark haired girl interrupted. "Are you Megara? Are you going to Walt Disney Boarding School?" Meg answered with a reluctant nod.

She squealed. "You're my roommate! Dad, we have to give her a ride!"

"Wait, we have roommates?-"

"I don't see why she can't come. Ma'am, is that okay? I can give you a bit of cash to get yourself and car home."Meg sent a desperate glance her mom's way, but she either didn't notice or care.

"Oh, that would be lovely. I forgot my wallet, so I'd really need that. It's great that Meg is going to make some friends."

"Liar. You're just dead broke." Meg muttered, kicking a rock.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Meg plastered a smile on her face, grinning at the most-likely-wealthy man.

"Well then, let's go."

Within a few minutes, Meg was squeezed in with the chatty sisters, goodies and beverages in front of her-if they weren't enough, she could simply demand a stop from the driver.

And Meg absolutely hated it.

 _Better than some of my old odd jobs I had to do._ She reflected with a light chuckle. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. A text from...

 **Hiya, Nutmeg. You know who it is. Meet me on your balcony, 10:00. Don't be late.**

Hades.


	2. Very Different From the Rest of Us

**Chapter 2: I Suppose This is When Life Begins...**

Belle tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, as she hauled her two suitcases from the trunk of the car.

"Remember what I told you, Belle." Her papa trilled.

She rolled her eyes jokingly. "I get it, papa. Don't eat the cafeteria breadsticks."

"No!" He sighed, exasperated. "Study hard. And _make friends_ , okay?"

The brunette mustered up as much of a genuine smile as she could. "I'll try." She stared at the school gateway, excitement churning in her stomach.

"Goodbye, Belle." Her mind jumped back to the present.

"Oh-goodbye, papa. Love you." She gave him a peck on the cheek, and waved until his car was a distant blob on the rolling hills.

Now, she simply stood, a blank expression on her face.

"Hurry it up, miss, or I'm closing these gates." Belle jumped, then realized it was only the intercom.

"Right-sorry." Flustered, she picked up her bag and hurried down the freshly-paved road until she reached what she assumed was the office. She swung the door open, relishing in the cool air, then strode up to a secretary, who's hair color resembled ketchup. She put of a hand expectantly. The teen stared, puzzled.

"Your ID?" The woman grouched.

"Oh! Yes, I have that." She giggled nervously in an attempt to lighten the mood as she drew her ID out. It didn't work.

"Room D27, girls dormitories. Map's over there." She jabbed a careless thumb towards an array of brochures.

She located the pile of maps, and snagged on off the top. As she pushed the door open, she called "Thanks, have a nice day."

In a flat voice, the secretary responded, "Yeah, okay."

Belle shook her head, mumbling, "Some welcome.", once the door slammed shut. "Now, let's look at this map..." She took a seat on a bench, and pulled the pamphlet to it's full length. Her hazel eyes widened.

About a third of the space was purely information about each building or area. A few included a gymnasium, rec buildings for clubs, and the library, one that especially excited her. She read the paragraph on it:

 _Our library holds thousands of fine works of literature, along with textbooks and computers. Volunteer here for extra credit_.

Her eyes lit up, and she made a note to herself to stop by later on. She began to scrounge the sketch of buildings and roads for her dorm. It took her several minutes just to locate the little block, and, despite her best efforts, Belle couldn't decipher the paths and landmarks. After a while, she crumpled the map and tossed it in her purse. She leaned her head back, creasing her brows.

Eventually, the girl forced herself up to her feet. As she took in her surroundings, she noticed a tall girl with a waterfall of jet black hair reaching the arch of her back, farther ahead on the path. An idea popped into Belle's head, and she sped up to a jog, calling, "Hey, wait up!".

The slender girl slowed her stride, turning back to see who was hollering at her. Once Belle reached her, she attempted to introduce herself and hide her out-of-breathness. "H-hi. I'm Belle. I'm just wondering if, uh, you know where the girl's dorms are?" Belle inwardly cringed at her awkward introduction, but the other teen had a slight smile playing on her lips.

"I'm Pochohontas. Im guessing those Tremaine secretaries in there weren't the most helpful for you, either?" She gestured towards the office. Belle nodded, with a breathy laugh. "Lucky for me-and you, now-I took a tour a few weeks back. I'll show you the way."

After that, the two ambled down the cobblestone road in silence. Belle wracked her brain for some interesting question to ask her, but Pochohontas interrupted her thoughts with an inquiry of her own.

"Where are you from?"

Belle, though slightly surprised, answered quickly, "A small town in Colarado."

The Native American gave her a puzzled look. "Where did you get your French accent, then?"

Belle was taken aback by the question. "I lived in France up until I was seven, then we moved to Colarado. My papa and I still speak French at home often, though." She paused. "You know, you're the first person who noticed that."

She gave a slight chuckle in response. "I've been told that I'm somewhat...observant."

 _Somewhat?_ Belle thought, but, instead, only returned the question.

"Nevada." After a moment of hesitation, she added, "We travel a lot, though. For my dad's work."

"What does he do?" Belle watched her brush a piece of her long hair back.

"He's a lawyer. Mostly works out agreements between the people on Native American reservations and nearby citizens. What do your parents do?"

"My dad's an inventor. He takes trips away on occasion, as well. My mom died a while ago, long before we even moved. I don't have the best memory of her."

Her counterpart let solemn silence hang in the air for several seconds, before adding, in a soft voice that sounded out of place on her, "Same here."

* * *

Pochohtas looked down at Belle. Her wavy, thick hair was brushed away from her neck due to the breeze, revealing beads of sweat from the end-of-summer heat. It now resided as a canopy around her face, which was facing downward, concealing it even more.

Pochohontas gave a sigh. "But hey-life went on." Belle looked up at her, face blank. She faced forward soon after.

"Yeah, it did. It will."

Pochohontas smiled. Belle seemed a little...different. But she was pretty sure she liked her.

"Do you know anyone who goes here?" She asked.

Belle shook her head. "I don't think many people do. Do they?" Pochohontas sensed discomfort in her words-and understandably so.

"Probably not. Some people met at an orientation meeting on Friday-but I only know one person."

"Who?"

"My friend Lily-well, Tiger Lily. And sorta-friend, I guess."

Belle gave her a puzzled look. "How so?"

"Eh, I dunno. She kinda fell into step with a popular group of kids when she reached high school. Grew apart, I suppose." The black-haired teen was careful not to reveal to much information and appear as frustrated.

"Do you like them?" Belle countered.

 _This girl asks the questions I'm avoiding, it seems like._ Pochohontas inwardly grumbled.

"Well, I-" she froze mid-sentence. She quickly wiped the expression of shock off her face. "There they are." She gestured to a large group on their path, making lots of noise. Most of the individuals held each attribute to being popular-expensive clothes, a lack of care towards others, and more.

"They're coming towards us." Anxiety was in Belle's voice.

"Yeah." Pochohontas shrugged. "Just keep walking." When they did catch up, the two girls were enveloped by the large blob. Belle was being squished and her flat-adorned feet crushed, but Pochohontas merely glared at anyone nearby, and each quickly broke their gaze towards her and edged away. Except Tink, per usual, who glared right back.

"So...that was them." Belle stated, once they were gone, and the only trace of them was the scent of perfume.

Pochohontas immediately felt the need to defend herself and her friend. "I don't like them-Lily's not like them. I-I don't know why she hangs around the crowd, and I've told her that."

Belle was quiet, taking it all in. Eventually, she came to a conclusion. "That's another reason why you're sorta-friends, I'm guessing."

Pochohontas didn't answer. Instead, she pointed to a redhead boy. "See him? That's Peter. Next to him is Tiger Lily."

She watched them, laughing and talking.

 _She seems to be enjoying herself._

After a moment, Tiger Lily looked back at the other girls, who were huddled and whispering. They narrowed their eyes at her.

Pochohontas realized that Belle was watching the scene play out, as well. "Come on. It's gonna get crowded soon." Their paces quickened.

Pochohontas couldn't stop thinking about her friend, though. She shook her head, and muttered, "I hope you're sure what you're doing, Lily."

 **oOo**

 **Tiger Lily was** confused. Lost. Unsure, of a lot of things. One of the main issues: Did she like her friends?

 _Yes you do-well, you like some of them enough to stick around._

That sure was true-she liked _one_ enough to stay around. But not exactly in the way he thought.

"Hey Lil's, what's going on?" Her thoughts scattered.

"What? Oh, nothing, Peter." He ruffled her hair, causing several of his admirers to cast turquoise and crystal blue glares her way. Again, she doubted why she ever stayed.

"Hey guys, watch this!" The rest of the boys were making a large net out of their arms, where the scrawniest one, Nibs, laid. Tink started her usual berating-consisting of mockery, shame, and vanity-, but before she got more than a sentence into it, he was careening through the crisp air, small body upheld and ungrounded.

Then plummeting head-first into a tree.

The branches shuddered, this human disgusting them, while the birds fled in pure terror. He tumbled into the squishy ground, which enveloped half of him like an extra-friendly pillow.

The boy staggered upward. "Nice backflip!" Tiger Lily cheered, her shyness deserting.

"Thanks, lil' tiger." There was acollective laugh at the nickname-some friendly, some mocking. "You should try it-you're small enough!" Yet another group-round chuckle-she noticed some of the girls whispering and sneering.

Indignation fired up inside the Native American. "Sure!" She bubbled. "Why don't we all throw me?" She suggested, sending a flashy grin toward the other girls.

They didn't glare this time, just sent sickly-sweet ones right back. Before Tiger Lily was evaluating the factors-if it was actually safe, whether or not someone would sabotage-she was cradled in another net.

Peter's hands supported her back, his head inches above hers. The spot tingled through her cardigan.

"One, two, three!" She sprung upwards and away-for a moment, she felt as though she were flying. Then, the oncoming tree appeared.

Now, Tiger Lily had some options: One-aim for the ground, hope she doesn't break an ankle, two-attempt what Nibs did(not too comfortable), or three: figure out something on her own.

She flailed in the air, yet caught sight of the group below her-hopeful boys(and Peter-her heart fluttered), the cackling girls-and Tink, looking emotionlessly tough.

These three reactions gave her a strange drive-she _needed_ to get this.

Option doors were closing rapidly-in a split-second, a decision was made.

Tiger Lily stuck out an arm, managing to catch a branch. Her petite body swung side to side, loosening her grip, until she secured her other hand on.

Deafening cheers-for a group of twelve, at least-sounded.

"Wait-I'm gonna-"

Her fingers slipped off. For half of half a millimoment, she seemed to just levitate there. Quickly, though, gravity awoke from it's slumber.

"Hel-"

Two firm arms accompanied by a proud and joking smile caught her, the tiniest bit of copper hair tickling her nose.

She giggled. "Thanks, Peter."

"Anytime, Lily." He set her down and winked. She just laughed awkwardly.

The other girls were still whispering from afar, judgmental eyes stuck like glue to the two.

Lily, now feeling more confident, just scoffed and turned away. "You know, Lily, I'm surprised." Peter grinned down at her. "I never thought you were too strong."

"I'm perfectly strong!" She protested, eyes glinting with humor. To prove it, she attempted to pick Peter up, miraculously succeeding.

Once she put him down, Peter marveled, "Woah, you're pretty strong for a ill' tiger." She went along with it, although she knew that she normally wasn't that strong. Tink stood, arming crossed, the lightest ghost of a grin wavering.

She continued down the path with the group, up front, next to all the boys.

 _This is why I stay._ She reflected, her smile from Slightly's story deepening.

Behind her, she sensed more murmurs. She turned just enough to see all the girls(save Tink) cackling, then speaking in low tones. Shortly after, they'd point-their fingers suspiciously directed at her-, and yet another cackle.

 _And this is why I don't._

 **oOo**

 **Ariel didn't like** this girl. Was she mean? No. Rude? No.

 _Eerily silent?_

 _Yes._

Her five sisters hadn't noticed-not even the so-far-unfriendly girl's future roommate, Aquata, had picked up on anything.

Each time she was involved on the conversation, it was short and curt.

"What grade are you in?"

"Twelfth."

"Are you excited?"

"I guess."

"What college are you going to?"

"Not sure."

"Why?"

"...Not sure."

Ariel cracked a grin at Adella's nosiness. Meg seemed to catch it, eyes averting to her. Ariel shot an understanding smile. She hesitated. The redhead's dislike grew deeper.

But then, Meg gave her one back-it was begrudging, like she wished she didn't want to smile; but she did. Ariel knew that.

 _She doesn't seem so bad._

 **oOo**

 _I feel so bad._ Meg's face crumpled, as she buried her head in her pillow.

 _No! It's not bad...yet. You just have to keep an eye on them. Nothing big._ She assured herself.

 _Yet. A_ part ofher brain added. Not one other could disagree.

 _Why did you agree..._ Meg wasn't sure; maybe a quick glance back in time would answer that for her...

 **oOo**

 **Meg slipped into** the doorway, violet eyes washing over the orange-bathed room. She'd managed to ditch the other girl, but now she needed a distraction-couldn't have her hearing conversations about who-knows-what with you-know-who.

"There you are!" Meg shot up like a cat. "I've been looking for you!"

"Oh-uh, sorry."

The brunette fixed her luscious ponytail. "So, are you going to the get-to-know event?" Meg gave her a puzzled look, but quickly replaced it with the 'I-have-unfortunate-news' one.

"No; I wish I could, but I need to unpack, organize, put everything up, get ready for Monday..." She trailed off, praying the hopefulness didn't show on her face.

"Okay. I'm sad you'll be missing it-I'll be gone in an hour." Meg checked the clock-6:30 now. More than enough time.

"Got it. I'm gonna go take a shower, so I'll see you when you get back, around...?"

"Eleven."Aquata clarified; Meg let out an inward sigh of relief.

"Good. Bye. Have fun." Meg strode into the bathroom.

 **oOo**

 **Once Meg finished** her drawn-out shower, she wrapped into her dark auburn hair into a towel cap, then secured another around her body.

Maybe it was the car ride, or the social interaction-but Meg was struck with fatigue. She threw her dress back on, the flowing fabric clinging to her, snuggling in for a nap.

 _Let's hope no one interrupts this one._

Her hopes were in vain.

 _Knock, knock, knock!_

The sound was equally annoying child and important businessman-they wanted their lollipop, but they're certainly important enough to get it.

Her head rose, perplexed by the sound. She got up, approaching the door. As she neared it, her ears sensed it coming from somewhere else.

Her neck shifted at a snail's pace, then shot back. A blurry figure with a snapping wrist was a silhouette on the blinds.

Meg couldn't manage a word, movement-anything. She suddenly set into action. Snapping the lock and shoving the sliding door with a _swish!_

What is it?" She hissed.

He smirked. "Come on out, Nutmeg. Don't want any bugs hearing this." Meg's eyes narrowed, but she obliged.

"Now, lemme cut to the chase: I need you to watch someone. Someone's, in fact. The Triton girls. Four of em' here. Oh, a Mr. LeStrong, too."

"Why?" She interrogated.

"Why," Hades countered, "are you asking? Especially when you're job is at stake."

Meg's glared. "Why aren't you answering? So sort of perv?" She jabbed a finger to his chest.

He chuckled, that carefree chuckle a parent does when a child throws a fit. "Now now, don't you worry. I need info-you've never asked before, and nothing's gone wrong before."

She matched his laugh. "Fine. Why should I? Not like I'd benefit-and how can I trust you?"

He leaned up against the railing, his grin desperately needing a slapping; in Meg's eyes, at least. "Here's all those questions, bundled up into one answer." Hades stated, sliding a fifty into Meg's quivering palm. "One per week, for just a bit of info. Even more if you can get more dirt."

She slunk down, crossing her arms. "Nothing else?" He nodded casually. Meg hesitated.

"Fine. Now get the hell off my deck."

 **oOo**

 _It's not_ _bad...yet._

"Yet." Meg mumbled. "Yet."

 _No! It'll be okay, just-don't get too involved._

 _And hey-maybe you can find some shit about this bastard._ These thoughts comforted her, but deep inside? She knew they were reassurances. Maybe not lies, but not truths.

 _You haven't dug too deep. You can escape when you want._ Just a reassurance. But maybe, that's what she needed.

With these thoughts swimming around her scattered mind, Meg sunk into the mattress.

 _Yet._


	3. Off to School we Go

**Chapter 3: Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, it's off to School we Go...**

 **Meg peered at** her blank pocket notebook, propped up against a cushy pillow _._ Pondering what to write, she snatched the pen on her bedside table.

 **#1:**

Her sudden burst of inspiration came to a halt at that. _What does he even want to know? There's six of them? He's rich?_ She scribbled down each of these in messy script, then promptly scratched each out. Her forehead creased, as she rolled onto her back.

"Whatcha got there?" Meg let out a yelp as she scrambled from her bed. "Nothing." She gave Aquata a flashy smile.

Her roommate chuckled, rubbing a towel on her dark head of hair. "Sorry if I scared you. But really, what is that?"

"Oh, it's _really_ nothing. It's not like a math journal, or a writing notebook. I found it on sale, you know. Did you find any of your school supplies on sa-" Meg realized her roommate was taking short, steady steps forward, eyes flickering from Meg to the notebook, like a hunter stalking their prey.

"It's..." _Are you really gonna say this? Something so stereotypical?_ "It's...my diary!"

That was the secret keyword. The brunette froze, her expression becoming delighted. "Oh! I didn't know you had one, too!" She hurried back to her bed, hauling up her mattress with a grunt. "Look!" Indeed, a hot-pink, furry, sparkly journal that declared "DIARY" on the front with a dramatically oversized lock sat underneath.

"Doesn't that...'everything' on the front cover defeat the purpose of keeping it a secret?" She snorted, before remembering what Hades wanted. _Information. And I don't get that shit from being a bitch_.

"Well, yeah. But I like it!" The teen protested sheepishly. Meg allowed herself to crack a smile.

They both finished packing. "There's a great coffee shop that's a ten-minute walk away on campus. You wanna swing by?"Aquata offered.

"No thanks." Meg stated curtly. _You're not here to make friends, Meg._ " She fake- yawned.

"But coffee makes you not tirrred." Aquata countered in a singsong voice. "Please?"

Meg was about to argue, but recalled that she had a 'job'. _Bonding time=info for Hades._ She couldn't help but feel guilt wash over her, though another part of her brain fought it. _Someone needs this_...

"I guess I could go..."

"Yes! That's the spirit, Meg!" Aquata squealed. "Come on, come on!" She jogged down the hall after the zealous girl.

"We have to hurry, so...well, hurry!"

"But-" Meg yawned once again. "Didn't you say it was...a five-minute walk, or something?"

Aquata shrugged. "I may have exaggerated. But it's great. I visited it on my way to the school."

Meg glanced at her. "Better be..."

 **oOo**

 **"I really can't** believe that you fell for that. Getting coffee when I came here? You came with us! In the car, I even told you that I hated coffee!" Aquata cackled.

"What the hell do you..." Meg muttered, rubbing her eyes. As she looked up, realization dawned on her: she'd been played.

 _Gift shop? Why a gift sho-_ her thoughts were interrupted by a tug on her sleeve from Aquata. She begrudgingly trailed inside.

"Okay, close your eyes now. Are you closing them? You _promise_ you're not peeking?"

"Mmm." Meg sounded in response.

"Okay, keep them closed and I'll lead you. Oops, sorry. Did that hurt? I won't bump you into anything aga-sorry, I didn't mean to. Just keep you hands out and walk slowl-my bad."

After a while(and most likely many bruises to her legs), Meg was planted on the floor.

"Open!" Aquata did jazz-hands. Meg's eyes popped, shock evident in her pale face.

"Does this..." Meg brushed her hand across a cover.

"Don't worry, I'll cover the cost. Pick any one you want, so long as it's a diary! You're other one was so boring; you simply _need_ a new one!"

Meg grimaced slightly, though promptly wiped the expression off her face. While fake-browsing, she pondered what to ask her roomie/one of the individuals she was hired to stalk.

"So, uh...how old are all your -no, actually, um...where do you guys live?" Meg nearly kicked herself, listening to the words stuttering out her mouth.

"I can't find my name." Aquata pouted, swiveling away from the keychains. "Sorry, what was that?" Meg repeated her question, relieved for the do-over.

"Oh, we hide out in Virginia." Aquata said.

"Hide out?" Meg turned around, only to see her counterpart rummaging through a box of slap-bracelets.

"Not even on nineties crap." The student grumbled as she faced Meg. "Yeah, hide out-from paparazzi, with our dad being Triton."

The auburn-haired teen did a double take. "Triton? As in, Kingsley Triton? The record deal guy?"

Aquata nodded brightly. "Yup! By the way, we'd better hurry."

After a bit more browsing, Meg plucked up a forget-me-not purple one, and they set off.

"My sister's and I-oh, we just _love_ swimming. I think they may have a swim team here, but I'm not quite sure. I'm also thinking of taking lacrosse-what about you?"

"Nothing." Meg deadpanned, giving up the whole be-nice-and-get-dirt tactic momentarily.

"Come on,"Aquata pleaded lightly. "There must be _something_."

"Nope." At that moment, the two teens sensed a change in the ground. Meg looked ahead to see a short, cobblestone path that they were now walking upon leading to large building that declared itself "AUDITORIUM" in showy, gold letters.

"Looks like we're here."

 **oOo**

 **"I'm going out** with my friends. Do you wanna join?"

"Huh?" Ariel leaned forward and rubbed her eyes. "Totally-just, uh, give me a minute." She managed the sentence through a powerful yawn.

Her roommate chuckled. "It's fine, Ariel. I'll catch up with you soon, dear."

"Thanks, Rosetta. I'm just gonna sleep for another...few..." Ariel realized she was already gone. Despite her tiredness, Ariel couldn't seem to doze off.

 _So many new things; no more of that scummy, spoiled seaside town._ Ariel basked in this thought. _New friends-new friends that your dad didn't choose!_

 _No one can harbor me off in some mansion, away from society, so..._ Ariel came to a realization. _You can rule the school! Be popular, with a ton of friends...O_ f course, she had no idea how to achieve that, but she'd get there-somehow.

"Somehow." Ariel mumbled, a smile gracing her face. With that, she set into action. After a hurried shower, she stood in front of her expansive closet. _What would the cool kids wear..._ She winced at the naïvety of the thought, but begrudgingly knew the answer could help. An idea popped into her head, and she hurried over to the window.

She peered through the near-closed blinds. _Who, is the question_ _..._ A large group sauntered past. She'd found her targets. _Let's see...that's a cute skirt-I think I have a necklace like that, too..._

As she took notes, the freshman realized that a petite Native American was squinting right at her. _Hopefully she doesn't_ \- She patted the lanky boy next to her, who followed her gaze, and, after a moment, alerted the teens around him, until the entire mass was trying to decipher exactly what was at the window.

They were catching the attention of lone passerbys, who followed suit. Now, a bulk of students were edging closer, phones in hand, squawking like birds and creating a larger following by the second.

Until that moment, the redhead was frozen at the window. But, with a short yelp, she flopped flat onto her stomach. Panic in her chest, she blindly clawed at the curtains until she grabbed a drawstring. She gave it a hard pull, and sensed sunlight casting rays across her room.

 _Oh God_. "No, no, no..." She felt around until she came across the other adjuster. After a quick yank, the blinds shut. Her room was sent to darkness yet again. Ariel didn't even need to peek out to know the damage was already done.

"Who do you think that is?" She caught the question from below, and her heart thumped louder. Soon enough, everyone was wondering just that-and had quite a few methods to answer it.

"We should go searching up there." A boy suggested.

"Just throw a rock, and we'll get em'!" A deep voice declared.

Ariel sighed. _If they figure out it's me..._

"What's the big commotion?" A commanding voice implored. The young teen's thoughts went silent, ears alert and anticipating the next words out of the strangers' mouth, which already gave off a sense of authority.

Ariel heard the mumblings of an explanation, then his response loud-and-clear. "So what? Someone looking out their window isn't a crime. This truly is a ridiculous reason to form a mob."

"But-" A girl from the original group spoke.

"Move along." The boy cut her off. Despite a few protestors to this, the suspense and fear were swept off. The students continued to their locations as normal. After a safe amount of time, Ariel risked a brief peek out, in the hopes of catching a glimpse at the face that saved her.

A boy stood in the middle of the pathway, ebony hair windswept and blue eyes gleaming. His jacket was embellished the RA symbol, same as the two friends he was gathered with. Ariel's eyes instantly widened.

"Cya, Eric." The boys disbanded with farewells. _So that's his name._

"Thanks, Eric." She whispered, smiling slightly.

* * *

After some deliberation, Ariel patched together an outfit that decently rivaled the large swarm she had observed. A brief look at the clock brought her to a conclusion she'd been dreading: _I'm gonna be late._

The girl tore through her suitcase, throwing textbooks into her bag haphazardly. She quickly snatched a hairbrush, shouldered her pack, and flew to the elevator.

Ariel struggled to drag the hairbrush through the red mass on her hair, cursing under her breath. "Why-won't this-goddam-thing-" Suddenly, the ashen doors opened, revealing yet another passenger.

Eric.

She froze, her expression similar to that of a deer in headlights. "Uh-hi." He smiled awkwardly.

"Hi." After several moments of staring at the hairbrush in her hand, he spoke. "Um, you do know that's a fork...right?"

She tore it from her hair, realizing he was correct. She let out a breathy laugh. "Oh-well, I-" She was interrupted by his laughter. The teen stepped in, much to the relief of Ariel.

"I get it. Been a long morning, right?" She grimaced. "You can say that again."

He finally turned to face her. "I'm Eric, by the way. I'm an assistant RA to the boys dormitories,too." As a second thought, he added, "I was just up here to retrieve something from your RA."

"Ariel." She looked up at him, attempting to shed an outgoing smile. The doors opened.

"Bye, Ariel. I'll see you around." He stepped out.

"You too." She waved. _This day wasn't as bad as I thought._

* * *

Ariel stepped into the large auditorium. _7:22. Just in time to grab a good seat._ She scanned the room, hoping to see the familiar faces of her sisters _. Or Eric._ Her heart fluttered against her will.

Out of the corner of her eye, recognized her platinum-haired sister, Arista, waving animatedly. Ariel waved back, and strode over. Before she reached her, though, two blonde girls sat down and started chatting with her.

 _Huh. Looks like she's already made some friends._ Ariel observed as indifferently as possible. _Okay._

Ariel spotted Aquata leaning against a wall with a dark-skinned girl. She hurried over. "Hey, Quata."

The brunette smiled back. "Lel'. This is Tiana, by the way." She gestured to her friend, who gave a small wave. "Oh, and there's Lottie." A pink-clad girl tapped across the floor in her high heels.

"Heyhey, Tia, Aquata." She called in a southern accent. When she reached them, she seemed to finally notice Ariel. "And hello to you also." She added. "We better get to our seats. I reserved a row."

"A row? Isn't it just us?" Tiana raised an eyebrow.

"weeell..." Lottie giggled. "Remember those six kids I met at the party?"

"Charlotte..."

"I invited them to sit with us!" She squealed, as if attempting to compensate for her friends' lack of excitement.

Tiana sighed. "Okay, fine. Let's g-"

"Wait!" Ariel cried, then winced as she heard the desperation in her voice. "Uh, I mean-" She fidgeted under the gaze of the three. "If there's six others, and you three-well, mind if I take the extra seat?"

Aquata frowned. "Sorry, sis. Meg's sitting there." Just then, Ariel noticed the slim teen skulking several feet away. She glanced up, lavender eyes piercing Ariel's azure ones.

"Oh, okay. It looks like there are some empty seats up there, anyhow." She smoothed over coolly. "I'll see you guys!" Ariel walked toward the front row, feeling, surprisingly enough, not too displeased.

That is, until she saw Eric smack dab in the midst of that row, hanging around with Lottie.

 _Seriously, Ariel? You didn't just take in the row in front of them-there were some seats left then. Now, you're the only person who doesn't have anyone to sit with._

She flopped down in a dull grey folding chair. "Hey, Red." A slender teen with jet black hair slid into the seat next to her. "You seem quite hung up over your sister rejecting you,huh?"

"What?" Ariel gave her a puzzled look. "No, it's not anyone's fault or-"

"Look-You clearly have something for that Eric kid." The tips of Ariel's ears turned pink. "And I can help you out."

"Huh?" She furrowed her brows. "What do you mean?"

A slight smile flitted across her lips. "Schedules can be edited with ease, you know."

Ariel grinned for a moment, before she raised a suspicous eyebrow. "What's the payment?" Her counterpart responded quickly.

"No no, we don't need anything right now, like money. I'll just ask for some favors, as you say, along the way."

"Oh." Ariel said. "Great, I guess." The black-haired-beauty smirked, then rose from her chair.

"Wonderful. I think I'll be seeing you soon." She slid away, taking a new seat within the midst of a large group of kids.

Ariel leaned back, a pleasant smile on her face. "I wouldn't trust her, if I were you." The redhead squeaked, jumping from her chair. When she saw it was only Meg, she scowled.

"What does that mean?"

She shrugged in response. "You heard what I said. Don't get close to Vanessa."

 _So that's her name._ Ariel thought. _Wait, don't get distracted_! "Okay, well, I can figure that out on my own, thank you very much."

Meg rolled her eyes, and Ariel narrowed hers. "Just saying-don't trust her." Before the annoyed redhead could retort, she had hopped up and shuffled away.

 _Whatever_. Ariel thought, almost as to console herself-but she couldn't get Meg's words out of her head.

 _Don't trust her._

 **oOo**

 **Meg threw her** bookbag at the door, shuffling over to her bed. She perched on the edge, then lifted up her pillow to reveal a diary-safely secured by a lock, of course.

After quickly scanning the room, she rummaged to the bottom of her laundry basket until she saw the shine of gold. Meg snatched the key up and hopped back to the bed.

The journal clicked open. Beneath the cover, the first, fresh page was covered in messy bullet points and slanted lettering. Meg wrote down a few more, hunched over the book in case her roommate _did_ arrive.

Suddenly, she heard an insistent pattering on the deck window. She groaned, dragging herself out and yanking the glass open.

"What do _you_ want? It hasn't even been a week."

Hades smirked. "Figured there were plenty of new developments on your first day of school."

She glared at him maliciously, but his eyes merely danced. "Here." She growled, shoving the open diary into his outstretched hands. His dark, hazy eyes scanned the page.

"Uh-huh. Yup. Good..." He snapped it shut.

"Already knew most of this, Nutmeg, but hey-A for effort." With that, he stretched his arm out, with a fifty between his two middle fingers. "Just for the trouble, ya know?" With a wink, he sat on the railing, swiveled around, and slid off.

She gasped, leaping forward."What the f..." Meg trailed off. He was nowhere to be seen.

 _Whatever. You have more important things to do._ She dismissed his peculiar disappearance and raced inside. After trashing her bedside table with the reward of a rumpled envelope, she shoved her second payment inside and scribbled down her old address. Meg tore a page from her diary and scribbled down her letter.

 _Don't be stupid. Spend this the wrong way and your cashflow dries up._

 _-Meg._

 _PS: Hades is back._

She hurried out of the dorm and shoved it into her small mailbox on the door, locking it and planning to keep it so till Sunday.

She skittered back into the room and rolled across her bed. She heard the front door unlatch, and Aquata's singsong greeting. Within minutes, the two were gabbing once again(mostly Aquata), and, also within minutes, Meg had her diary out and was penciling in more information.

At the end of the day, she didn't have much of a justification for her actions. Only an instinct.

 _Someone needs this._

* * *

 **By the way, here's the ages of the Triton sisters: Ariel-15, Freshman/Andrina-16, sophomore/Arista-17, Junior/Aquata-18, Senior/Adella-19, Freshman in college/Alana-20, sophomore in college/Attina-21, Junior in college. I'll be posting a chapter that I took down for editation sometime soon. Happy(belated) Thanksgiving!:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4_**

Elsa gazed out the window, watching as the thick vegetation merged into hues of ivory and olive and viridian, like smudging an oil painting. She sighed, her breath fogging the glass.

 _Remember the forests like this back home?_ Her mind almost mocked.

 _Of course I do._

She could conjure up the image easily. The beaten paths she and Anna would roam with a sense of curiosity and excitement; hopping over fallen branches, and the landing that kicked a cloud of dirt into the air; a rickety swing they'd leap onto and galliantly sail across a murky ditch, formed years after the toy itself; Elsa remembered it all-and Anna probably did, too.

 _But Anna's having the time of her life in this stuffy taxi already._

All while Elsa conducted her gloomy reflection, Anna was animatedly going on about the school she was heading to-and occasionally mentioning Elsa's "training facilities" in her detailed fantasy.

"-and you'll visit me in my room and meet my roommate, and sometimes _I'll_ stay with _you_ at your room, since you're only like twenty minutes-"

"Ninety minutes, Anna. Ninety minutes."

"Same thing- _ninety_ minutes away, and I'll meet _all_ your coworkers and friends, and I'll be at all your banquets to tell fun stories-"

"And by fun stories, you mean embarrassing stories."

" _No_ I do _not!"_ Anna protested. "I mean stories like the one where you tripped on the playground and had to be carried out on a stretcher while you sobbed about your oncoming death-"

"That is not fun at all."

"It was for everyone else." Anna countered, then continued. "Or when we went sledding, and your tobbogan was the only one to veer into the ice, so you faceplanted into an igloo-"

"What is your definition of fun, exactly?"

Anna giggled, but the smile was wiped off her face when she looked at her sister slumping in her seat, platinum hair covering her face.

"Elsa? What's wrong?" Anna started tentatively. Elsa shrugged.

"Just stressed, I guess. This is a lot."

"Really?" Anna questioned, doubt evident.

"Yes!" Elsa exclaimed, her head whipping up and icy eyes shooting intense irritation into Anna's beryl ones.

"Are you sure it isn't the thing with, uh, the other company-" Anna was cut of when her sister slapped a hand over her mouth. Anger was no longer in her frosty eyes, only panic.

"You know we can't talk about that out loud." Elsa whispered harshly. When she saw the hurt in her younger sisters face, she retreated back to her own seat quickly. "I'm...I'm really sorry, Anna." She eventually sighed.

Anna interjected. "No, Elsa, it's not your fault. You're scared, too."

Elsa mustered up a hearty-enough laugh. "I'm not scared. I know it'll be fine-in all fields. I shouldn't be acting like this when you're so excited."

Anna played with one of her carrot-colored braids. "I guess I'm just...excited, right now. And I want you to be, too."

Just then, the vehicle came to a halt. "Looks like it's your stop, Anna."

The freshman scurried to the trunk, snatching her belongings, then rounded back to the window to say farewells.

"Elsa, promise me? You'll be happy about this training-or, at least try?"

Elsa chuckled weakly. "You know me. You were the optimistic one." Anna's face sank. "But, I'll do it. For you. On one condition: that you remember _everything is fine_."

Anna grinned. "Of course."

"And don't talk about...all that. Mom and dad will be fine, anyways." The teen gave a short nod in response.

"Anna," The eighteen-year-old took her younger sister's hand. "I'll miss you. Stay safe."

Anna squeezed her hand. "I will. Bye, Elsa."

"Goodbye." The car started up again. Elsa waved until Anna turned and walked up to the gate. She twisted in her seat to watch her, until she was hidden by the towering trees.

 **oOo**

 **"Well, I guess** I'll cya around." After a moments pause, Pochohontas added, "You should sit with me at lunch or something."

Belle didn't respond for a moment, almost shocked by the proposition. "Oh-yeah, yeah. Totally." The Native American strode out the elevator with a wave. The steely doors closed, and began the ascent to the fourth floor. The doors reopened shortly, and Belle stepped out.

She examined her surroundings. In the short hallway, there was an ice machine, a few washers and dryers, and an array of vending machines. She walked out, into the halls with dorms. The only other person around was a girl in the small common room right ahead of Belle. The girl was stretched out on a couch, her long, thick braid over the armrest and nearly hitting the floor. She was typing away on a laptop, while music pounded out of her headphones.

Belle began to mutter along to the lyrics she could easily hear. _Won't tell you who I adore, I won't tell you who I'm singing towards cause-Focus! We don't have time for this._

 _Right._ Belle was about to step into a hallway, when she felt someone run into her.

 _Thump!_

Belle lurched forward, ending sprawled on the floor. She staggered up. "Excuse me, what in-" she whirled around, expecting to find some guilty-looking teen, but was only met with a mess of orange curls that she began to choke on.

The girl swiveled around. "Woah, lass. My apologies for that." She chortled, a Scottish accent lacing her words.

"Um-you're good." Belle mumbled, suddenly forgetting her complaint.

"I'll make it up to you. How about I help you find your room?"

"Uh-okay. Don't you need to find yours?" The redhead waved that away.

"I arrived early-my mum couldn't see the date, since my brothers scribbled on the paper thing-they're triplets, too. Such a bother. Let's head down here." She herded Belle down the left, even though she hadn't even asked her room number. Belle reluctantly followed.

"I had to be placed with the RA for a few days until everything was ready, you know. She didn't like it too much." The girl laughed.

"There's an RA? What's their name?" Belle asked, surprised by this.

"Why, it's-" An older teen rounded the corner. "Ah, there she is! Hey, Snow!" The girl froze. The redhead jogged up to her.

"This is Snow White. The one I had to stay with."

"Yes, um, hi again, Merida. I, um, I believe that...top, is against our dresscode." She began to flip through a clipboard hugged to her chest. Just then, Belle noticed that all this girl-Merida-was wearing was sweatpants, a sports bra, and a sweatshirt while barefoot.

Merida groaned. "Sno-ow, nobody gives a shit. I'm in my pajamas."

The RA ran a hand through her short, ebony bob. "Well, yeah, but-"

"You look homeless." A slender girl with a waterfall of jet black hair strutted past, high heels clicking on the floor.

"Better homeless than whore." Merida jabbed back with a wink.

The girl's face went blank for a moment, as though no one had ever been able to retort an even-remotely good insult and she was at a loss for words. She hastily replaced it with a scowl. "Whatever." The redhead grinned coyly, then turned to face Snow and Belle once again. As the girl skulked away, she quietly muttered,"Trash."

"Bitch!" Merida hollered back carelessly.

During this encounter, Belle gaped silently. She turned to see what Snow felt, but she looked bored, if anything, as though this was the kind of thing she does all the time.

"Merida..."

"Yes, I get it, don't call someone a bitch-"

The petite Middle Eastern from the common room rounded the corner, and leaned against the wall. "Unless they _are_ a bitch, of course. Besides, Vanessa needed to be put in her place."

Snow shook her head. "Jasmine, don't call your roommate that."

Merida piped up. "So can I call her that?"

"Merida, you know you-"

"Well this has been a lovely and informative conversation but I unfortunately have to show this lass her room so-" Merida led Belle back the way they came from.

"Well, I-okay, then." Snow's voice faded as they walked off.

Once they were a safe distance down the other hall, Merida finally asked, "So,-wait, what's your name?"

"Belle."

"Ah. So, Belle, what's your room number?"

"D27."

When she said this, Merida whipped around. "D27?"

"D27." Belle confirmed with a nod.

Merida stared at her for several seconds, before breaking out into a wide grin. "It looks like we're roommates, then!"

Belle stood frozen in shock, until Merida unlocked a nearby door and welcomed her in. At that point, the only thing Belle could muster herself to say was, "Oh, joy."

 **oOo**

Mulan trudged to the bathroom, trying her best to avoid her and her roommates unpacked bags and boxes.

And of course, to no avail.

 _Thump_! She flopped to the ground. As she tried to shake the fairy lights of her roommate's from her leg, the girl came out of the bathroom, looking pristine and polished. "Oh, hi Li." Mulan awkwardly waved.

" _Lin_." The teen corrected, a slight sneer on her face. "And please, don't touch my stuff." She untangled the lights that ensnared Mulan's leg easily, then gracefully maneuvered through the obstacles to her bed.

 _Not like you need a box of these deathtraps_. Mulan bit her tongue to stop herself from saying anything. _You have this girl for a whole year._

At first, Mulan was pleasantly surprised when she found that she had a Chinese roommate, greeting her in Mandarin. The girl only sniffed, curtly replied in English, stating that she preferred it over Mandrin, asking Mulan to speak to her exclusively in that-well, more demanding, than asking.

Mulan made her way into their bathroom, turning on the shower and giving it a moment to warm up.

"Don't use my shampoos, they're expensive!"

Mulan rolled her eyes. "Okay!" She called. She put her store-brand soaps in wherever she could fit them between her roommates excessive amount, then hopped in. When she felt the icy cold water hit her back, she squealed and jumped, nearly slipping. She washed as quick as possible, then hopped out, shivering as goosebumps tingled up her spine. Once dressed, she walked back in her room. "Was the water freezing for you, too?"

Lin looked up from her phone. "No. That's just what happens when you're late to bathe." She cut the conversation short by tapping some earbuds into her ears. Mulan was good and ready to slap this girl and tell her some ground rules, but she kept her fathers advice in mind. _Treat everyone with respect, and they will respect you._

So, she only combed her hair silently, until her roommate got up and walked out the door without any notice to Mulan. "Don't wait up." Mulan muttered under her breath. Soon enough, she, herself, was ready to head to the assembly. _Let's hope there aren't many Lin Chen types at this school._

* * *

Mulan brushed through the swinging doors with the rest of the crowd. She wasn't too late, but a good portion of the seats were already taken up. Just as she caught a chair at the edge of a row, several adults appeared onstage. The loud, amiable talking lowered to quiet murmurs, then silence.

A woman onstage cleared her throat, then began speaking. "Hello, students. I am Dr. Grimhilde, your new principal." She smiled, but it didn't reach her dark eyes. "For the next forty-five minutes, we'll be going over some interesting information that you'll need to know about this school."

The principal might as well of said, "Right now is the perfect time to take a nap, but with these cold, metal chairs, it'll be impossible!"

The bored Chinese girl zoned out for the majority of it, stifling her yawns and fidgeting with her lucky cricket pendant. "Jane Porter is our..." Mulan couldn't bring herself to listen anymore. She stared back up at the ceiling, closing her weary eyes to the bright lights.

"And next up is Mrs. DeVille, your home economics professor. She's been teaching for thirty years-"

 _Ugh! Why doesn't she just shut up?_

 _You know what, let's just go. You're not gonna miss anything._ Mulan immediately agreed to the idea without a second thought. She slipped out of her seat, tiptoeing to the nearby door, which swished open easily and silently. Once she made sure it closed, she let out a breath that she'd been holding in. The teen swiveled on her heel with new energy, only to let out a shriek as she saw what was ahead of her.

"Why the hell are all of you here?! And...why are you holding a head?" She backed up into the door, her knees buckling as she desperately tried to shove it open again.

"Fa Mulan! You've brought dishonor!" Their ghostly silhouettes quivered.

"How could you disrespect this school on your first day?" She turned to see her mother and father, disappointment in their gazes, on the other side of the door. "Wake up, child! You need to grow in your maturity."

"Yes!" Screamed the spirits. "Wake up, child! Wake up!"

* * *

"Wake UP!" Mulan's head snapped forward, and she looked around blearily. Slowly, she said, "Wha...what's going on-where am-" Realization flooded back to her.

"You're in school. And this isn't naptime." The teacher glowered at her. As she stomped away, she insulted under her breath, "That girl isn't gonna find a husband using her etiquette, that's for sure."

Mulan looked around at the people staring, but quickly turned her attention back to the stage. "-and we'd like to thank some of our sponsors. First, Maleficent Benevola, who unfortunately could not make it today, and secondly, our largest sponsor, Mr. Walter Disney!" Everyone clapped politely. The friendly-looking older man stood up with a humble wave and charming smile, then sat back down. "He has helped us construct many things for this school, and will be around for the next few days. Now, we're moving onto the final subject, sports and clubs." Mulan perked up at this. She never had the most interest in her studies, but she was eager to join a few of her favorite activities.

The microphone was sent to a man with long, brown hair, who spoke quietly. "A retired sports director, Mr. Li, was of tremendous help to us in forming several programs. In fact, his son is here today. Please stand up, Shang." A muscular guy, looking rather uncomfortable, rose for a moment, before plopping back down a few seconds later. There were a few spatters of applause here and there.

"We'll be hosting most of the sports tryouts next weekend, including boys football, lacrosse, soccer, dance, swim and boys basketball. There will be several practices held until then. Details and club guidelines can be found-" Mulan deflated. The one sport she was excited for, basketball, was male-only. At this point, she really _did_ want to leave, feeling there was nothing else worth staying for.

She turned her head and spotted the guy-Shang-listening with interest to what the teacher was saying. _Bet he's excited for sports_. Suddenly, his gaze averted towards her. She gave a friendly smile. He stared blankly for a moment, then turned away. She shrugged it off.

The principal took the mic back. "That's the end of our assembly. Please proceed to the outside hallway to pick up your schedules."

Luckily, since she was sitting near the back, Mulan had gotten hers right before everyone else began to mob around the flustered teachers. She stepped out into the brisk air, letting the light breeze brush her long hair around. She scanned the first class listed on the salmon-colored paper, then set off, ready to start her day.

 **oOo**

Elsa stood in front of the foreboding building, preparing to start her business training. She eventually stepped into the revolving door, coming out inside the classy lobby. Without needing any identification, the secretary got up and took her bags, flashing a card at a scanner and opening the elevator. She brought Elsa to the top floor, where only a large, glass walled conference room and lone door stood.

"These will be your quarters, for the time being." She unlocked the door, motioning for Elsa to follow her in. Elsa trailed after. Once she saw the inside, her eyes widened.

"Do you think this will be suitable?"

"What-oh, um-yes, thank you." Elsa quickly regained her composure. The secretary left her alone, stating she'd be back in an hour to give her a tour.

Once she was gone, Elsa had the strange urge to take a nap, which she hardly ever did. She blamed it on the long drive, though, then got comfy on the designer couch.

* * *

Elsa's eyes inched open. She now had a feeling something weird was going on; the desperate need for a nap, then waking up from the nap-in her dream. She could very vividly recall a dream from her nap too, one of her usual dreams.

 _It's like I'm fake-awake_. She realized, making her rather unsettled. This was _very_ unusual.

 _But I'm in a dream._ She argued to herself. _There's no reason to be scared, this isn't reality._

 _ **Reality isn't the only place where things can happen, Elsa**._ The voice was sweet, female. And it made her stomach lurch. Elsa now launched off the couch, in hot pursuit of the door. "Yeah, nope. Not gonna deal with some demon I've conceptualized or whatever. Goodbye!" She threw the door open, but there was only blackness. The door faded away, fiber by fiber. Elsa tripped onto her couch as the floor under her began to dissolve.

"Wha-what's going on?" She now darted backwards, but the pace only quickened.

 _ **Your time is up.**_

She grasped a painting on the wall as the hardwood disappeared, leaving blackness in its place, just like everything else. Just as she felt the ledge she grasped turn to nothingness, Elsa heard a whisper.

 _ **Watch your back.**_

* * *

 **Happy 1-year-anniversary of this story!**

 ** _I don't always waste my life writing fanfiction, but when I do, I post a chapter every three months and delete it two days later and convince myself I'll have it edited in a week._**


	5. ode to updates

_to update, or not to update,_

 _whether tis swaggier in the mind,_

 _To suffer the roasts and diss tracks of outrageous fortune,_

 _Or to take arms against a sea of emojis,_

 _And, by triggering, end them._

 _-_ **ya boi will s. , 69 AD-420 AD**

so..

 _ **BITCHES I'M BACK **_

_**ON POPULAR DEMAND**_

 _ **-**_ **queen b**

i am shameless in my absence for the past *subtly counts on fingers* seven months. Let's cut to the chase-

-needs editing

-requires several necessary alterations

-is in a state of dire desperation and/or need of imperative operations to word choice and corrections of inaccurately typed words.

But still, this was a lot of fun, and I want to work on it. If you're a stranger that just skipped to the last chapter,: try yo best to read my garbage mk thx bby. And now a word from our sponsor:

 **Do You Think My Writing Is Trash? Share That in The Comments!**

 _brought to you by the USDA_

 ** _night_**


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